The Darebin Council has released its proposed response to the State Government’s Thornbury Activity Centre plan and it fails to address the key issues our community has been raising for months.
Despite nearly 1,100 petition signatures, the draft Council response does not adopt any of Fair Growth Thornbury’s core recommendations, including:
- Protecting residential streets from inappropriate intensification; and
- Reducing building heights along High Street to preserve its village feel and heritage character.
Instead, the draft response continues to include large swathes of residential streets in central and east Thornbury as “inner catchment” zones, implying that 6-storey buildings could be considered appropriate in quiet, family-oriented residential areas.
This is not responsible or evidence-based planning and it ignores the overwhelming feedback from residents, the Community Reference Group, and the petitions you signed.
Importantly, the Council’s response will carry significant weight and is likely to be prioritised by the State Government when finalising the Thornbury Activity Centre plans. That means if this version proceeds unchanged, community voices risk being overridden entirely.
It is essential that Council represents its constituents appropriately and responsibly, ensuring its submission accurately reflects community feedback.
🗓️ The Council will vote on this response at its meeting on Monday, 27 October, leaving only a few days to act.
👉 We strongly urge all residents to contact their local Darebin Councillors immediately and demand that:
- The Council’s response be revised before adoption;
- The residential streets outlined in our petitions for Central and East Thornbury be protected from “inner catchment” zoning; and
- The response call for reduced height limits along High Street to protect its historic shopfronts and diverse local businesses.
We need substantial changes to the proposed response, and Councillors should not support it in its current form, and you should let your Councillor know. Councillor contact details can be found here.
This is a critical opportunity to make sure Thornbury’s future is shaped with the community, not against it.
Council's proposed response can be found at page 246 - 285 of this document.